Have you shared your thoughts on Xochitl Gomez being cast as America Chavez? If not, how do you feel about her casting and her acting/looks wise?
Honestly? I don't have much of an opinion yet, other than no body was going to be entirely satisfied no matter who got cast (me included, because I love America so much).
But other than that...
Well, first of all, I don't know the actress from much else. I know she made a series, but I haven't watched it yet... I feel it's a little beside the point though, because we still have to see her properly characterized and in character and... y'know... acting like America before I can tell whether she's pulling the part off or not.
So far, I think most of the Young Avengers castings have been pretty on point, so I do have hope that they know where they are going with this.
Now, I know there's been some discussion in fandom (and some downright anger) about a couple topics. And I DO have opinions about those:
1. Her race. This is the big one. I'll say this: it's a complicated thing in the comics, because America has never been openly stated to be mixed-race. She's latina for sure and most artists do draw her as afro-latina, but that varies greatly from one book to another. It's not something clear as, say, Miles Morales, whose father is clearly black and mother clearly latina. Even America's moms both seem mixed race... which again raises the issue of vagueness. So, while I do see people complaining that she's not afrolatina (and I agree that that's the most standard interpretation of her), I don't think sadly that it was clear enough that this is them "whitewashing" her. Do I wish personally that they'd cast a dark-skinned or afrolatina actress? Yes, absolutely. But I don't think this is as damning as some ppl are making it seem. There's some nuance there to be taken into account.
2. Another thing I've curiously seen brought up is the fact that the actress is mexican and not puertorrican. On that regard, I would point out again the vagueness of her origins (up until recently, at least). America was created to be a sort of superman... an alien who came to this world and became part of it and, within it, a particular culture. Aka: latinx. (The same way Superman seems like a white man who stands for the "american ideal" event though he's not strictly speaking a caucasian human nor was he born in the usa). She was from an alternate utopian parallel reality, not even part of the Multiverse itself (which is why, canonically, there was only one of her in the whole Multiverse... again, until recent retconning). Now, a few months ago a (frankly awful) retconning took place which stripped America away from much of her backstory and made her a puertorrican kid who had pretty much made up everything about the utopian parallel because of trauma. I personally hate that change, but whatever. My point is, this version of her backstory didn't technically exist when Xochitl was cast, and I don't see this as a "change of nationality". (Which, btw, still wouldn't be a big deal anyway and is nowhere as close to the whole valid race issue). Will the new (bs) backstory be the one the MCU presents in the new movie? I have frankly no idea. But you can probably guess what I hope.
3. And then there's her age. People are mostly angry that the three non-straight Young Avengers so far have been cast as much younger than their counterparts (Billy, Tommy and America). In regards to America, most of the criticism also stems from this move probably being with the intention to avoid shipping with Kate Bishop (a non-canon ship that has lots of subtext in canon and a heavy shipping base in fandom). But... really? I think it's weirder that they made Kate so much older than everyone else. I mean, she already is (in YAv2 she turns 21 while the rest are still minors) but not THAT much. Making her mid-twenties when her original backstory had her closer to everyone else's teenage range feels odd to me. I mean, Hailey is delightful and the move works for the Hawkeye show, but on a long-term plan, I think the younger Young Avengers make far more sense. With the time these movies take to make and come out, Xochitl (who will be 16 in 2022 and it's an actually appropriate age for a teen character) will probably be around 18-19 by the time any Young Avengers movie gets made (since it hasn't even been announced yet, let alone gone into preproduction). If you'd cast her at mid-twenties like Kate, you'd have a "young avenger" nearing thirty by the time you filmed. So, yeah, I see the concerns regarding age and age-gaps, but I don't think it's this actress that makes the equation funny.
Okay, for someone who said they didn't have many thoughts, I guess I do have quite a few haha but they are mostly regarding the fandom reactions to stuff.
When it comes to the actual actress, I'll say this: I am moderately optimistic, I am overwhelmingly excited to see my favorite character in the MCU in any type or form and I am (at the same time) fucking terrified that they will fuck her up.
Once again thinking about Encantó and how the house was cracking because the family was cracking under pressure and how Mirabel’s part in saving Casita and the miracle wasn’t even about mending people’s struggles but simply about acknowledging them and telling them it’s ok and they don’t have to do it alone.
Thinking about how the first cracks appear when Mirabel feels ostracized from her family and is about to break under the pressure of feeling wanting and invisible and alone.
Thinking about how the thing Mirabel does for Luisa is listen to her and just say “you are carrying way too much” and then when Luisa’s powers begin to malfunction it isn’t because of her but because Luisa dared slow down a little and was IMMEDIATELY hit with crushing guilt and tried once again to overcompensate it and THAT is when her strength failed her.
Thinking about how Bruno left in an attempt to keep the family from fracturing and was literally trying to fix the cracks with his absence, but it was Mirabel SHARING a vision with him which actually helped him find a positive outcome for a vision because he wasn’t alone with that burden and his anxiety and she led him to a happier perspective.
Thinking about how the real healing moment between Isabela and Mirabel isn’t Isa’s confession really, the turning point is when Mirabel actually stops and LISTENS and simply acknowledges that her sister is struggling and goes on to loudly support and encourage her to find and be herself.
Thinking about all the other cracks we didn’t entirely see. Antonio’s pressure to not be “another disappointment” to his family but obvious guilt that Mirabel didn’t get to shine. Camilo’s consistent changes for the sake of others, but when he starts to malfunction he’s a grown man with a baby’s head, because maybe that’s how he feels, lost and not quite either. Thinking about Pepa, unable to feel any negative emotions, to the point of absolute repression because every single anger or sadness is an open nerve for the world to see and “Pepa, stop! Not again!” Thinking about Julieta’s role as a consistent care taker in a family that even with their powers gone yells for her when in panic because she Must Know how to fix it. Thinking about Dolores so overwhelmed and tense and overlooked, whose great romantic ideal is someone finally SEEING her.
And the cracks showed up whenever the pressure was too much. Whenever Abuela was too afraid and protective and holding on to her control so tightly, marked by the trauma and fear of losing them, to the point where she couldn’t take anything or anyone being out of her control (an obvious PTSD thing).
The family was cracking because Abuela lost sight of the family as people vs the family as a well oiled machine. And while it was obviously due to generational trauma, it was also an issue that no one else in the family could see because it was the dynamic they grew up in and accepted as right and healthy. It was only Mirabel, blessed with an “outsider” perspective, who could see the way the pressure was mounting on everyone’s shoulders and who (having no expectations at all put on her by dismissal) could dare to break the cycle and speak up, not only for herself but for others.
I am once again thinking about Mirabel’s door being the front door of the house (her casita who she is clearly the closest with) and just like everyone else has their powers represented in it, Mirabel’s shows her surrounded by her family, like the anchor that helped them build a new foundation in their relationships with one another, based not on what they could “do for the family” but by love and acceptance of each other.
The thing is, if you rewatch the boat scene, the last person Steve looks at before he gets sucked into the Upside Down (after the first scare) is Robin.
He comes out, tentacle still tight around his ankle, and he looks at his best friend.
Do you think that’s what Robin is thinking about when she jumps? On that look, that knowing look of fear and a half-apology, like his face before the Russian’s got them... on every second he is under water and not coming out, like when they took him to be interrogated...
Because Nancy jumped first. And yes, Nancy is brave and smart, and yes Robin is pretty sure she still has feelings for Steve, but she also broke his heart. Robin knows, Robin remembers the way Steve’s voice broke when he admitted to it in a bathroom stall... and yet Nancy, who can’t possibly love Steve as much as Robin does, jumped in.
And Robin isn’t brave. She’s smart and she’s stand-offish and she’s curious and she’s loud... but she doesn’t consider herself brave. Not the way Steve is, because he will jump into danger again and again if it means protecting the people he loves. She knows, because she’s lucky enough to count herself in that list. And she let him. She let him jump alone this time.
But that is her best friend in the fucking world. That is her brother, and they couldn’t be closer even if they shared blood or a last name. He is her boy, hers. The one that drives her to school and gives her pep talks and keeps her secrets and makes her laugh and holds her hand when they are scared and stands between her and the world and he’s an idiot but he’s her idiot dammit and if she stuck with him as the Russias caught them, she sure as hell is sticking with him now.
So she jumps. And it isn’t even a choice. Because when he knew what would happen, he didn’t look at Nancy or at Eddie or ask for help. He looked at Robin because she is his person, just as much as he is hers. So when she dives into the dark waters towards a strange and dangerous world after her best friend... how could she not?
Most realistic thing about Encanto was the Latinx family saying “we don’t talk about this particular family drama” and IMMEDIATELY proceeding to dish the chismecito
Love how Dolores calling Mariano the man of her dreams was initially framed as a “oh because he’s pretty” crush and when the confession time comes it’s really because she has HEARD him for so long and she knows little things about how kind and loving and sensitive he is and THAT is what she loves. Mariano is a character that comes off as cheesy and plain at first but really he’s just earnest and “filled with so much love” and Dolores KNOWS it.
okay it’s so funny because rewatching s1 (I blame 6x11) I realized Buck really is the reason Bobby finally opened up to the 118 but it’s not about the plane crash... it’s after.
After Bobby falls off the wagon (and Buck is the one who says “maybe ask for help once in a while” and Bobby looks straight at him when he says “help”) later things are tense between the group. Chim’s at the hospital and without him to play buffer with his emotional intelligence things are tense between Bobby, who refuses to be vulnerable with the 118 and let them really know him, and Hen, who is tired of the invisible wall Bobby’s putting up. They have some rather cold shouldered and tense moments, all while Buck looks from one to the other in the background looking like a child of divorce.
And then...?
And then they hear him laughing. And Buck does the thing that he inadvertently does best... he brings his child-like wonder and joy into the firehouse.
And despite their best efforts... they melt to that warmth.
It’s after that call that Hen and Bobby have a proper conversation about him keeping walls up and he says “let’s go back to the firehouse, I’ll cook you a delicious dinner and introduce you to someone” “who?” “Me.”
So yeah, no shit that Chim and Hen never quite got to know Cap without Buck around.
Very intrigued by all the other “background firefighters” in the 118. Like, do they look at this little 5 people family and think “god I wish I was one of them” or maybe “god thank god I’m not one of them (because they seem to be chased by tragedy)” or do they have their own little personal families going within the firehouse, with their personal friendships and dramas and stories? God I would KILL for an ep focused around them and how the “118 firefam” drama looks from outside and whatever else they might have going on.
I really like Mariano as a character because the movie could’ve made him a jerk just to make us more sympathetic to Isabella’s reluctance to marry him, but in reality he’s a very sensitive guy with a huge crush who only wanted to sing Isa a song and marry her and writes poetry and when he gets rejected he’s never bitter about it, just sad, and during the dinner he’s sweet and he’s the only one at the table (other than Alma) who addresses Mirabel and actually asks if she’s okay when she starts acting nervous and weird and later he’s leading the towns people when they come help rebuild casita... I just think that he’s neat
